Asylum seekers and refugees seeking abortions surgery and other treatment have been prevented from having overseas transfers for health care by a Nauru hospital committee. The Pacific islands of Nauru and Manus Island were opened in 2012 as detention centres for offshore processing of asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat. According to the Guardian: “They have been plagued by allegations of violence, including murder; sexual predation of men, women and, in particular, children; … Continued

The government of Nauru, a Pacific island 2,500 miles from mainland Australia, has withdrawn a bill that would have legalised abortions for refugee and asylum seeker women following opposition by both government and opposition MPs. The bill had been introduced by Nauru’s Border Protection Minister David Adeang. The debate was broadcast on local radio. Former Nauruan opposition MP Matthew Batsiua, who followed the debate on local radio said: “To me it was just obvious that … Continued

Original story by Bianca Hall 15 April 2016 A young African woman, accepted as a refugee on the Pacific island of Nauru, known as S99, was in the midst of a violent epileptic seizure when she was set upon and raped on Nauru. She was semi-conscious during the rape and is unable to identify her attacker. Now, she is nine weeks pregnant and desperate to have an abortion. Since the rape, she has attempted suicide, … Continued